The Other Rangers
by LightspeedArcher
Summary: Maddie and Will are going about business as usual when a very injured young girl literally falls on their doorstep. As they help her recover, they start to uncover a mysterious new threat to Araluen and their visitor is right in the thick of it all. As they discover more, they start to question; are the Araluen Rangers the only ones?
1. Chapter 1

It was very bright out even though it had to be getting close to midnight. Maddie couldn't tell from her position in the bushes. It had to be close though, which meant they wouldn't be waiting much longer. She couldn't see Will, but she knew he hadn't moved from his spot farther down the path and she assumed he hadn't fallen asleep. She grinned. Will was getting up there in years after all. His hair was now definitely specked with grey, though he refused to acknowledge it. Farther on, Maddie could just make out their horses through the trees. They were standing perfectly still and attentive.

The wind picked up a bit, waving the branches around eerily. Maddie pulled her attention back to the road. They were watching the road into a town that had supposedly become haunted recently. The "ghosts" came every week on no particular day and stole only four items every time. The thieves were never seen or heard. When they first struck, the bodies of four criminals had vanished from the gallows. The villagers were sure it was the ghosts of the criminals punishing them for having hung them. Will and Maddie weren't buying it. They had been watching this road for a few nights already, but had yet to see anything out of the ordinary. Or anything at all.

A branch rustled somewhere behind her. Maddie resisted the urge to look behind her. She was as well concealed as she could be and she had her cloak wrapped around her, but the thieves were supposed to be ghosts and it was midnight, a full moon, and very foggy. So the idea of something unknown behind her was a little unsettling. Still, Will had said more times than she could count; Trust the Cloak. She remained still and listened to the leaves and occasional branch rustling behind her as something heavy and tall moved past behind her.

After a few minutes, Maddie saw movement from the corner of her eye. Without moving her head, she shifted her eyes until she could see the figure. It was a man wearing a grey cloak, but he had the hood off. Behind him came three more cloaked figures.

Maddie narrowed her eyes, " _Ghosts, yeah right. They're not even quiet."_ Now that she could see the threat, she was just waiting for Will's signal. Since the thieves weren't traveling on the road, the plan would require some improvisation, but not much. They had planned to cut them off from both sides on the road, now they would have to do it in the woods. The good news was improvisation was a Ranger's specialty.

Maddie heard Will's sharp two noted whistle and swiftly stepped up behind the burglars. As she did that, she was already reaching back for an arrow and laying on her bow, ready to shoot. Will was doing the same it front of the men. Naturally, they saw Will first and turned to find Maddie behind them. One tried to run to the side, but quickly gave that up as an arrow whistled past his face. The others wisely remained where they were and made no attempt to fight the frightening cloaked figures.

The Rangers delivered the thieves to the town jail without trouble and started to the castle where they were staying. All in all, it had been a relatively uneventful week, but Maddie was still looking forward to her warm bed. Tonight they (or rather she, with Will watching and pointing out her many mistakes) would write the report to Gilan and tomorrow they would head back to the cabin.

They arrived at the castle and put their horses away themselves. Maddie caught herself falling asleep on her feet while she brushed Bumper off. She glanced at Will to see if he had noticed. He appeared to be focused on Tug, but she wasn't sure. Finally, she gave Bumper a last apple and turned to leave his stall and start the report. Will had already finished with Tug and was waiting for her.

"Maddie, you can head to your room and get some rest. I can write up the report myself tonight. You'll have plenty of chores to do once we get back to the cabin, so rest while you can." He told her.

So he had seen her dozing off. " _Oh, well."_ Maddie nodded and headed up to her room before he could change his mind. Once there, she kicked off her boots and fell back on her bed. She'd passed out before she hit it.

Maddie woke up late. The sun was already up. The important thing was whether Will was. She put her knife belt on and fastened her cloak as she walked out the door. No sign of Will. Maddie grinned and started towards the breakfast hall. So she didn't see Will step out from the stables.

"Morning, Maddie. I hope you're ready for a morning run. I think just a couple miles will do. Once you've finished, get Bumper ready. We'll eat on the road."

Maddie sighed. She'd been too tired for dinner last night after getting back and had been looking forward to a warm breakfast and hot coffee. She turned to the road and started jogging.

"Would you like some lemonade while you stroll?" Will called after her. "Come on. Pick up the pace."

She did and finished her laps in fifteen minutes, give or take. She started toward the stables, but Will motioned her to follow him into the castle. She hurried to catch up with him.

As she caught up with him, Will turned toward her slightly and said, "I changed my mind. I'm hungry, we'll eat here quickly." Maddie rolled her eyes, but did it subtly. She didn't want to change his mind about breakfast. They reached the dining hall and ate quickly, then headed out to the stables to get the horses.

They were on the road shortly after. It took a few hours to reach the cabin, but they did so by lunchtime. Maddie took the horses and Will started to the house to make some food. Maddie felt the wind shift as she walked to the stables. Suddenly, Bumper and Tug straightened up fully alert. A moment later, Will called her name sharply.

She rushed over to him. He was kneeling over something on the porch. As she got closer, she realized it was a girl in a cloak patterned similarly to hers and Will's, just in black and grey instead of green and brown. As Will gently pulled the cloak back from her, Maddie saw the girl was covered in blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Maddie didn't waste time staring at the girl. She rushed indoors and pulled out the spare blankets. She spread them out on the ground at set a pile of them at the head. Will brought the girl in and set her on it. Maddie brought over the large medical kit. She set it by them and sat back.

Will cut the girl's shirt around her stomach where the blood was still coming out. He grabbed the wet rag Maddie offered him and dampened the area, then gently pulled it free. The cut looked like it had come from a sword and it was very deep. He began cleaning it and stopping the blood flow. While he did, Maddie took a closer look at the girl.

She was wearing soft leather boots that came up to her knees and a silvery grey tunic with form fitting black pants underneath. She also had a knife belt and a sword or long knife of some type strapped to her thigh. On her belt was a strange symbol. It appeared to be an arrow and knife laid horizontal and parallel across the middle of a circle. Over them was a bird's black silhouette, wings spread wide against a silver background. Under the weapons the bird's silver silhouette was upside down, giving the appearance that it was being reflected onto a black background.

Maddie turned form the symbol to examine the girl's cloak further. It was the same pattern and style as her own, but with varying hues of grey and black instead of green and brown shades. Ideal for camouflage in the night. Maddie reached over to the sword on the girl's leg and unstrapped it. It was beautiful. It had a curved blade, like the katana swords used by warriors in Nihon-Ja. Strapped to the side of the sheath were multiple small blades, perfectly balanced for throwing. The same blades were also strapped to the back of her belt.

Will finished stitching up the girl's injury and took off her belt. He handed it to Maddie and pulled a couple more blankets over the girl. She hadn't moved throughout the whole procedure. Her breathing was very shallow, but the bleeding had stopped now. They would know later whether she would recover.

Will turned to Maddie and took the belt back. He stared at the symbol on it and looked over the rest of the weapons. Finally, he looked up at Maddie. "Do you know what this is?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. What?"

He shrugged. "I was hoping you might have heard something I hadn't. I've never seen anything like this or her before. Especially not in Araluen." He frowned.

Maddie mirrored his expression. "If she's not Araluen, what's she doing here dressed like this? And with all these weapons?"

Will nodded appreciatively. "Right. And who hurt her? I haven't heard any reports of trouble recently, but we only just got back." He paused. "Head up to Castle Araluen and get Gilan down here now. I want him to see this."

Maddie jumped up and started for the door. She hesitated and turned back. "Are you going to keep her here?"

Will looked up. "Yes. She's not in any condition to be moved in the first place and I want to keep her close until we know more. Now get going and I'll get to that stew. Clearly we'll be having plenty of company."

Maddie hurried out the door. She had left the horses in the yard when Will had called her. Since they were Ranger horses, they hadn't run off, but Maddie felt bad. Tug didn't seem happy to be left out there, so she took a moment to put him away and give him some water and food. Then she mounted Bumper and started towards Castle Araluen.

They kept to a steady canter and Maddie turned her thoughts to the events of the day. The morning had been traveling, but the afternoon had definitely been unusual so far. She and Will often dealt with new situations, but few started on their porch like that. She was interrupted by Bumper impatiently tossing his head for her attention.

"What is it?" She asked.

" _You seem to be distracted. You might hit your head on a tree branch if you don't wake up."_

"I will not. I'm just thinking. What's your take on this mystery girl? She's dressed like a Ranger, color scheme aside, but her weapons don't match and I don't know of any other female Ranger apprentices."

" _I'm sure that with you dedicating all your brainpower to it, you will come up with an answer shortly."_ The horse replied snarkily.

"Are you jealous, Bumper?" Maddie teased.

" _As if. I am entirely superior to her all in every way."_ Bumper snorted.

"Oh really?"

" _Sure, I can still walk at least."_

Maddie rolled her eyes. She wondered if Tug had the same attitude toward Will and if Will dealt with it any better. She never managed to get the last word with Bumper.

" _You know it."_ The horse interjected on her thoughts.

Maddie sighed, but was distracted as she caught sight of Castle Araluen in the distance. Even though she had lived there most of her life, it still took her breath away. She pushed Bumper to go a little faster.

They arrived at the gate and the guards let the rushed Ranger apprentice pass. Maddie allowed a stable hand to take Bumper to the stables, although she left instructions for him to be left saddled and ready to go. She hurried to Gilan's office and knocked politely.

"Come on in." She heard him cheerfully call from inside. She opened the door.

"Gilan, Will needs you at the cabin. We've found a very strange girl he thinks you'll want to see." Maddie explained quickly whilst panting slightly from the stairs.

Gilan took in her posture and tone and nodded. "Ok. I just need to grab some things and I'll meet you in the yard."

Maddie nodded and headed back down. She was mounting Bumper when Gilan came out and went into the stables. A moment later, he rode out on Blaze and they started to the cabin.


	3. Chapter 3

Maddie and Gilan rode quickly, but steadily. Still it was well past dark when they arrived at the cabin. Tug knickered a greeting from the stables and the other horses responded as the Rangers put them inside.

That done, they entered the cabin. Maddie smelled supper cooking and remembered she hadn't had lunch. She looked around, but didn't see the girl or Will. A moment later, Will came out of her room. He nodded to Gilan, but addressed his words to Maddie.

"I put her in your room since it has walls. We'll be able to talk without waking her." He turned to his old friend. " Gilan, thank you for coming."

"As if I could refuse. Maddie was very stubborn. But then, she is your apprentice after all."

"Ha. Just don't forget how my stubbornness saved Araluen more than once." Will paused and looked toward the kitchen where the stew was starting to boil. "Have you eaten, Gilan? I made stew and coffee."

Gilan smiled. "Now when would I have gotten the chance to eat, Will? That coffee better be good." He followed Maddie to the kitchen and they got their food. They all returned to the main room to eat and talk.

Maddie sat eating her stew while Will explained what had happened to Gilan. Once he finished, he handed the weapons and cloak to him. Gilan examined them closely. He appeared just as perplexed as they were. He stared at the symbol for a minute, then looked over the blades. Finally, he looked back up at Will. "Has she said anything?"

Will shook his head. "She hasn't woken up. She has started moving recently, so she may soon."

Gilan nodded. "Do you mind if I stay here until she does? I want to talk to her myself."

"Not at all. I thought you might. You'll have to sleep in here or with the horses though."

"Probably better company than you." Gilan retorted. "I'll be fine in here."

Will grinned. "Great. I'll have to listen to you talk all night now." He turned to include Maddie. "I think we should keep a watch on the girl in case her condition changes. Gilan, you take first watch. Maddie and I need sleep."

They headed to bed and Maddie passed out quickly. Around early morning, Will woke her up for her watch. She headed out and grabbed a coffee before sitting down. As she started back, she heard movement over by the girl. She hurried over. Will had also heard it and was already there. Maddie shook/kicked Gilan on her way over.

The girl had forced herself into a somewhat upright position and was looking around warily. She barely reacted when she saw the Rangers, at least not the way a villager would have. She just stared at them as though daring them to do something.

Finally, it was Gilan who broke the silence. "Good morning. You sure slept in." He smiled reassuringly. "How do you feel?"

The girl frowned. "I…" Her voice was hoarse and low. She started coughing. Will handed her a glass of water which she drank slowly. When she finished, she tried again. "Where am I?"

"You're in my cabin." Will responded. "We found you unconscious and wounded at the door. What happened?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't know. I can't remember anything. I was hurt?"

"Yes." Gilan answered. "You must have hit your head. I'm sure your memory will return. In the meantime, can you remember your name?"

"Sierra. My name is Sierra." She smiled, but it vanished quickly. "Are you Rangers? Do you know where my family is?"

Maddie stepped in. "Yes and not yet. We'll find them though. Don't worry. Can you remember where you're from?"

Sierra shook her head. "No. I can barely remember my name. What will you do with me?" She looked nervous.

"Will and Maddie will take care of you until you've healed. Then they'll find you somewhere to stay until we can get you home. Why don't you rest some more, We'll get you something to eat."

Sierra nodded and laid back. The Rangers quietly left the room and Gilan closed the door behind him. He turned to the others grimly.

"I get the feeling she remembers more than she says. That may not even be her name. Will, keep her here as long as you can. If you have to move her out, keep her close. I'll take the weapons with me and see what I can find. Maddie, make friends with her. Try to find out more. Report straight to me if anything turns up." He paused thoughtfully. "I think I'll tell the other Rangers what's going on. Keep Sierra here until the Gathering at least and bring her with you. This doesn't leave the Corps. To anyone else, she's a victim of roadside thieves."

Will and Maddie nodded. Gilan turned to the door. "Now it's about time I got back to decent company at the castle. Keep me updated." With that he left before Will could respond to his teasing.


	4. Chapter 4

A few days later, Sierra was walking around easily as though she'd never been hurt. She helped Maddie with the chores and they talked often. Sierra never said anything that might prove she was lying about anything. Maddie found herself liking the mysterious girl more and more every day. Will did not. The horses loved her.

Gilan came by with Jenny later that day. He and Will went inside to talk, but Jenny stayed with the girls outside.

"Hi, I'm Jenny. Who are you?" She asked Sierra.

Sierra glanced up from the wood she was stacking. "I'm Sierra. Pleasure to meet you." She smiled.

Maddie sat back and watched them. Will had told her earlier what they were doing. They were planning to have Sierra work at the Heaped Platter where the Rangers could keep an eye on her without seeming obvious. Jenny didn't know the whole story, only that Sierra had been attacked, lost her memory and might be in more danger from the attackers, so the Rangers wanted her to stay close.

Jenny had immediately offered to let Sierra work and stay with her. Will had agreed, but Gilan was less enthusiastic. He'd made Jenny agree to meet the girl before committing. At the moment, the two seemed to be getting along fine, discussing cooking.

As Maddie listened, she realized Sierra knew quite a bit about cooking, outdoors. The procedures she was comparing with Jenny's cooking techniques were similar to the ones Will had taught Maddie for in the field. She made a mental note to mention that to Gilan and Will.

Eventually, the older Rangers came out. Gilan headed to the stables and Will walked over to the girls.

"So we were hoping to go down the the Heaped Platter to eat. Do you have any objections, Jenny?" He asked meaningfully.

Jenny glanced over at Sierra. "None at all. You all are great company."

Sierra laughed. "You too. And I am hungry. Are we leaving now?"

Will nodded. Behind him, Gilan was bringing the horses out. There were two extra for Sierra and Jenny. Maddie jumped up and went to get Bumper. She stopped next to Gilan and muttered, "They seem to get along fine. Also, Sierra knows a lot about cooking outdoors."

Gilan considered that for a moment. He nodded. "Ok, thanks."

Behind them, Will had already saddled one of the extras and was showing Sierra how to mount. Eventually, they set off. After the first few minutes, Sierra looked a lot more comfortable in the saddle, but was still figuring out the reins.

They arrived at the restaurant and went in. There were some seats open in the back corner and Jenny led them there. Soon, they were eating a perfectly roasted chicken. The first few minutes were occupied with eating.

After his first piece, Gilan reached for a second and grinned at Sierra. "Help yourself. Otherwise Will'll take it all."

Will would have objected, but his mouth was full. He shrugged and glared good naturedly at Gilan as he swallowed. He started to reply, but Jenny jumped in.

"You know, if you don't have any other plans, Sierra, I could use more help around here. Would you like to stay with me and work here?" She invited.

"Um, sure. That'd be great." She looked at Will. "If that's ok?"

Will nodded. "That's fine. You've healed enough. If you remember anything, let us know. It might help us find your family."

"Oh, right. My family." She frowned and looked at her plate. "Ranger, I had a nightmare last night. I think, well, I think it was about my family. It was terrible." She shuddered and looked at him. "I don't think you'll find them."

Maddie stared at her. She was fighting back tears from the memory. "Sierra, what happened?"

Sierra turned to her. "There were cages holding people and I was trapped in one. These men were loading another one onto a ship and there were a man and woman on it. They looked familiar and were yelling something to me. Then, I can't remember much after that, but I was running from the men and they had whips and swords." She bit her lip. "I woke up then. I think, I think that…" She stopped talking and stared at her plate again. Her shoulders shook gently.

Maddie put her arm around the distraught girl. "It's all right. It was just a dream. It probably wasn't real." She looked at Will and Gilan. They were looking at each other silently. Maddie could tell they were thinking otherwise.

Sierra spoke again. "That wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the one in the cloak. He always had his hood up so you couldn't see his face. He was wearing all black except for his belt and his sword hilts. They were red." She took a shaky breath. "He was terrifying. They all called him Assassin. He was chasing me too."

Will frowned. "It's alright. You'll be safe with Jenny. We'll keep an eye out for anyone unusual, but like Maddie said, it was just a nightmare." He glanced at Gilan. "Jenny, can you show her where she'll be staying?"

Jenny nodded and helped the girl up. They walked off together. The Rangers remained at the table.

"Well, that was interesting." Gilan commented drily. "What do you two make of it?"

"She is always a bit disoriented and jumpy when she wakes up." Maddie observed. "I didn't think much of it before, but she may have been having nightmares."

Will nodded. "She seems to trust us more now, though. We'll keep an eye on her. This assassin character warrants some concern. I don't think it was just a nightmare. You saw her injuries. Gilan, I think you should inform the other Rangers what's going on."

"Yes and I want one of you near her at all times." Gilan agreed. "Maybe Halt can come down and help you keep watch on her. I still want you to bring her to the Gathering."

Maddie frowned. "I don't understand. What are we so worried about? It sounds like she escaped from a slave gang and she's healed now. Shouldn't we be worried about finding the assassin?"

"Yes, but assassins tend to not want anyone knowing about their presence. Sierra does." Will answered. "Our friend may try to clean up that loose end."

 **Thank you to all my readers and reviewers!**

 **I will hopefully have the next chapter Tuesday. I need other Rangers (and which fief they're from) to add in. Suggestions?**


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week since Sierra had started working at The Heaped Platter. Halt had come down to Redmont to help keep watch for anything out of the ordinary. There had been nothing. Maddie was sure they were chasing the wrong trail, but Will and Gilan were certain they were right. Halt naturally sided with them.

Maddie was currently watching the girl from behind a bush. She was getting water from a nearby well. Off in the distance, a bird started singing. Maddie didn't recognize the sound. Sierra seemed to though. She set her bucket down and turned toward the sound, tilting her head and smiling. Unexpectedly, she started into the woods.

Startled, Maddie quickly followed. Sierra quickly and silently moved through the trees as though she had been born there. The birdsong stopped, but the girl kept going faster and faster. Eventually, Maddie lost sight of her. She tried to track the girl's path, but couldn't find it. Finally, she turned and hurried away to find Will. Behind her, a shadowy figure turned away from where it had been watching her and moved deeper into the woods.

Maddie had left Bumper at their stable so Sierra wouldn't realize they were watching her. Right now, she was really regretting it. She hurried to the cabin, but it still took several minutes to reach it. Halt and Will were in the kitchen drinking coffee and turned to look at Maddie as she rushed through the door.

"I lost Sierra." She announced shamefully. "She went into the woods chasing a birdsong and I, I don't even know how, but she lost me."

Halt and Will exchanged glances and seemed to come to some sort of agreement. Maddie frowned at being left out, but Will turned to her and set his coffee down.

"It's alright. She did the same thing to Halt last night. There was a strange birdsong and a few hours later, he noticed her climbing back into her room through her window."

Halt nodded. "I never even saw her leave. She appears to be evading us or someone else. Whatever the case, it raises questions. If she is evading us, does that mean she can track us?"

"If not us, who and why does she need to be so stealthy about it?" Maddie added. "And where did she learn to do that?"

Will nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Halt, do you suppose Pauline would be willing to talk to Sierra? Maybe she can find something we can't."

"I'm sure she would. She already told me that something feels off to her about Sierra. I don't think she'd argue with the opportunity to find out more."

"Great. While we wait for Sierra to return, would you like some coffee?" Will offered Maddie a cup. She accepted gratefully, relieved that he wasn't disappointed in her for losing track of Sierra.

Will continued. "You remember Gilan told us to bring Sierra to the Gathering. Well, we're going to leave for it now."

Maddie looked confused. "It's not for three days still. Why do we need to leave now?"

Halt answered. "Because whatever she's doing, it does not fit what she told you about herself. She's lying about something and we need to figure it out. You and Will are going to try to find out more about what she's not saying."

Maddie grinned. "Ok, when do we leave then?"

"This afternoon. Go pack your things. I'll go see if she's back. Halt, can you ask Pauline to talk to her now before we leave? I need to talk to Jenny, so she can meet me at the Heaped Platter." Will explained.

Halt nodded and went to get her, Maddie went to pack and WIll finished his coffee. None of them noticed the slight rustling in the grass under the window or the dark shape that moved away and vanished into the trees.

When Pauline arrived at the Heaped Platter, Sierra was wandering through the tables refilling drinks. Jenny saw her come in and walked over.

"How can I help you, Lady Pauline?" She asked, glancing over at Sierra.

"I need you to give Sierra a break. I want to talk to her, but I don't want her to know who I am. Have her sit down and eat something." Pauline smiled. "And I wouldn't mind trying some of that roast I smell."

Jenny nodded. "Absolutely. I'll have Sierra bring it out to you, then take her break."

"Thank you." Pauline turned and found an empty seat. Sierra soon walked over with her meal.

"Ma'am, your roast." She set it down and turned to walk off.

"Thank you, dear. Pauline said. "Tell me, are you new here? I don't recognize you and I come here quite often." She looked encouragingly at the girl.

Sierra paused and turned back to her. "Yes, I only recently started."

"I see. Where are you off to now?"

"I"m about to take my break." Sierra replied. "Do you need something else? I could get it for you first."

"Oh no. I'm just curious. You don't look from around here." Pauline tilted her head inquiringly.

"Oh. I'm not. I came here, well, it's a long story."

"Tell you what. I'll buy you a meal and you can take your break here and tell me about it. There aren't any other tables open." Pauline suggested. "See, I'm rather lonely since my husband left on a trip and I daresay you could use a friend from here."

Sierra considered for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose so. Thank you." She sat down and the two started talking.

After half an hour, Sierra returned to working. Pauline had learned little from their conversation. The girl had skillfully avoided saying anything about herself despite Pauline's best efforts. All she had found was that Sierra was a very smooth talker. Had the Rangers not told her about the girl's arrival, she wouldn't even know that much. She was frustrated and understood why the Rangers were concerned. A girl who could evade Rangers at night or day and out maneuver a Courier in conversation. She left to talk to the Rangers.

Will entered a short while later. He quietly ducked into the kitchen to find Jenny. He spotted her and caught her attention. She scowled at him and pointed to the door. Will grinned and quickly retreated from the kitchen.

A moment later, Jenny came out with a coffee. She handed it to him. "So are you taking off now?"

Will nodded, sipping appreciatively at his coffee. "We will be later today."

Will shook his head. Jenny rolled her eyes. "I'm getting the feeling there's more to the girl's situation than you're telling me. I'll be talking to GIlan. Maybe he'll tell me something."

Will smiled. "I doubt it." He turned to leave and noticed a young man sitting in a nearby booth watching him intently. The man turned away as Will looked at him. He had a scar running down his cheek and slightly onto his neck. His hair was dark and long, but didn't quite reach his shoulders.

Will turned to ask Jenny who he was, but she was already back in the kitchen. He looked back at the young man who was eating some potatoes now, apparently no longer interested in Will. The Ranger shrugged. It was nothing new for people to stare at him. After all, he was a mysterious Ranger. He turned a left to check on Maddie.

Behind him, the young man abandoned his meal and followed.


	6. Chapter 6

The restaurant had closed for the night. Sierra finished washing the dishes and started for the door. There were still a few others there cleaning, but Jenny had already left to visit the Ranger Commandant. She wondered why he was back in Redmont again.

She turned down the road to where she was staying. Suddenly she stopped and turned quickly. She caught a glimpse of a black cloak whip behind a building. Sierra frowned and watched the corner, but saw nothing else. She turned back to the house and hurried inside.

Maddie was waiting for her inside. As Sierra walked through the door, she set her cup down and stood. The girl didn't seem surprised to find her there, just unsure what to do. She walked in and hesitantly stood just inside the doorway. "What can I do for you, Ranger?" She asked.

"We wanted to extend an invitation to you. We will be having a meeting with all the other Rangers and were wondering if you could come and tell them what you told us about the assassin." She smiled encouragingly. "Jenny already agreed to let you come if you want."

Sierra considered for a moment. "You're inviting me to a Rangers meeting. I get the feeling this isn't something you do often." She raised an eyebrow. "I don't see how I could refuse that."

Maddie laughed. "I suppose not. Pack some clothes and change into something you can ride in. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."

Sierra nodded and went to pack her things. Maddie sat down to wait. Only ten minutes later, Sierra came back carrying a bag and dressed in a simple green dress. She set her bag down and grabbed a cloak from by the door.

She turned to Maddie. "Ready."

"Alright then. Let's go." Maddie started to the door, but Sierra hesitated.

"Actually, I think I left something. I'll be right out." She turned back to her room and stepped in before Maddie could ask what. Maddie shrugged and grabbed the girl's bag. She carried it out and secured it to the back of the spare horse she had brought. It was a retired Ranger horse named Cormac.

A moment later, Sierra came out wrapped in her cloak. She shivered slightly as Maddie helped her onto Cormac. They rode out towards the Rangers' cabin. Will joined them shortly before they got there and they continued down the road. Maddie and Sierra talked about random things as they rode, but Will stayed quiet. After about three hours riding, he called a halt.

"Maddie, start setting up camp. Looks like there'll be a storm later, might as well use the tents. Sierra, help her out. I'll make dinner." He started a fire and once again lapsed into silence, watching the girls talk. He had been listening to them the entire way there. Pauline had told him that the girl talked constantly, but never said anything definite about herself. It concerned him that the Courier had been unable to get anything out of her.

The truth was they knew nothing about Sierra. They still didn't know how she had been injured or where she had gotten the weapons she'd had when they'd found her. Gilan had come by earlier to let them know that the weapons had gone missing without a trace from his desk. Will was just slightly concerned how the unanswered questions surrounding this girl multiplied by the day.

He finished starting the fire and started making a stew when it started raining. He groaned. Cold rations for dinner and no coffee either. The girls had jumped inside their tent when it started, so he was the only one outside. He sighed and set the half prepared stew to the side and made sure the fire was all the way out before moving to his tent.

There was a small splash behind him. Will paused at the tent flap and looked back. He saw nothing, but still hesitated. He would have sworn that splash was caused by someone moving in the trees. He stared calmly into the rain. A moment later, a small fox darted between a gap in the trees. Will returned the arrow in his hand to his quiver and entered his tent.

In the trees, a figure released his breath and moved silently towards a dark mound in the grass. The mound shifted upright into the shape of another man. He shivered.

"Don't suppose you brought an extra cloak with you, Semal?" He whispered. "It's freezing here. I miss the desert."

"Ha. I did actually. I told you it would rain." The young man handed it over. "I've received confirmation. We were right about the plan, Deron." He rubbed the scar on his neck.

"Well then. We move our plan. The warrior princess and Ranger Treaty can't make it to the Gathering at any cost." The man smirked. "Payback time. They shouldn't have messed with us."

Deron gave a short birdcall. A moment later, Sierra leaned out of her tent. Deron moved out from behind the tree and gave her a hand signal. She returned it and ducked back inside. Deron reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out three darts. He carefully aimed and sent the first one into Tug. The horse whinnied angrily and started towards him, but collapsed. The other two horses followed immediately.

Sierra reemerged from the tent pulling an unconscious Maddie with her. Movement came from Will's tent and he emerged. He reached for his throwing knife as he took in the scene, but collapsed suddenly. Semal stepped around him and gently pulled him into the trees. He lifted the Ranger onto his shoulders and started through the woods. Deron did the same for Maddie. Sierra started taking down the campsite and removing all traces of their presence.

About an hour later, Maddie woke on the back of a horse. It was too tall and dark to be Bumper. She quickly became aware of the figure behind her, holding her steady. She twisted around and saw a young man wearing a grey and black camouflage pattern cloak. He looked down at her and smiled calmly.

"Good morning." She noticed his voice was slightly accented, but she couldn't identify where from. The man continued. "You aren't supposed to be awake yet."

He reached to his belt and pulled out a cloth. He gently covered her mouth and nose with it. She struggled not to breath, but lost. It smelled like a flower of some kind with a touch of cinnamon. She fought to stay awake.

"No. You can't do this." She forced her eyes open. "The other Rangers will be furious and they will find you. Trust me, you really don't want that." She felt herself slipping back into unconsciousness. She heard the man replying, but couldn't understand him through the haze.

"Actually, we really do. Now go to sleep, Ranger, and relax. We aren't here to hurt you. You're actually safer with us than anywhere else."


	7. Chapter 7

**I just realized I should probably have put a disclaimer somewhere. So I don't own any Ranger's Apprentice characters, only my story and OC.**

 **Enjoy!**

Will was running harder than ever before. Maddie wasn't there and he thought that was bad, but couldn't think why. He just had to keep running. He couldn't remember what from until Tug appeared and told him so.

" _Ranger, come on Ranger. You know, Deron, I'd really expected more from the famous Will Treaty. He can't even wake up quickly. Hand me that glass of water."_ The horse vanished as Will was submerged in a monsoon.

He sat up gasping and was jerked back by the ropes around his wrists. He shook the water out of his eyes and looked around. He was in a cave, a deep one. The opening wasn't in sight. There was a fire a few paces away and silhouetted in front of it was the man from the Heaped Platter. He was sitting back on his heels now that Will was awake.

"Finally, I thought you might have nodded off permanently." He stood, walked over to the fire and stirred a pot Will hadn't seen at first. "I mean, I thought your hair was supposed to be brown, not white."

"It's not white, it's brown with one or twenty grey hairs." Someone interrupted. Will swung around to locate the voice. It was another young man. He looked almost exactly like the other. His hair wasn't as long, but the dark colour was the same. Their complexions were dark as though they were used to a lot of sun. They both had prominent cheekbones and dark eyes. Will leaned back.

"You're the assassins." He stated. "Where's Maddie and our horses? For that matter, where are we?"

" _You're in a cave."_ Tug's dry response came first.

Will swung back around the other way and saw Tug and Bumper tied to something. Maddie was lying on the ground next to them, still unconscious and also tied up.

"Oh, a cave. Helpful, Tug." Will responded without thinking. He jerked back to see if his captors had noticed. They had.

"Yes! They talk to their horses. It's not that unusual, Deron. I told you." The one with the scar commented triumphantly.

"Thanks, Ranger. You ruined it. I almost had him convinced he was insane!" The other man sighed. "Oh well. I'm Deron. The rude one's Semal. You already met Sierra. She's keeping watch outside. We're your rescuers. You're welcome."

Will arched his eyebrow. When the men didn't respond, he looked at the ropes on his wrist, then over at Maddie and then back at them. They still refused to respond to his nonverbal disbelief. Will sighed inaudibly and gave up.

"This actually looks like the opposite of a rescue." He remarked as dryly as he could manage.

"Well, it was improvised. Cut us some slack, Ranger." Semal replied offhandedly.

"Alright." Will took a deep breath. "If this is a rescue, why did you knock us out and why am I tied to a rock?"

Deron walked over next to him and sat down. "Well, we drugged you because we needed to get you out of the area quickly and didn't have time to argue. You're tied up so you don't decapitate us before we explain why this is all necessary." He paused. "You know, on hindsight, that really was poor improvisation."

Will just stared at him.

"Also, we want the other Rangers to think you have been abducted and come find you. So I think that kind of balances it out. See, we wanted to stop you and explain everything to you after you had met up with Halt and Gilan to discuss what to do about Sierra and the assassin character. There was a complication though and we had to change the plan." Deron stopped again. "Questions?"

"So the assassin is made up? Just so you could get us together for what?" Will shook his head. "And who are you all really?"

"No, the assassin is definitely real. And there are actually three. Yes, we needed you together so we could keep you safe. You four are the Lord Rangers, as we'd call you. The leaders of the corp. That makes you and the royal family the first most defenders of Araluen. The first targets in a war with assassins. Following so far?"

Will nodded. "So we are being targeted as the military leaders in a war with who?"

Deron rubbed his forehead. "That's the part we aren't sure of. We have theories, but nothing solid for any of them. We aren't trained enough to just take on the assassin, so we evacuated his targets. Or you two, at least. Halt and Gilan will be with the rest of the Rangers and that should keep them safe for a while. We aren't able to get to the rest of the royal family either."

Will frowned. "Right. So let me make sure I've got this. You're trying to defend us from an assassin by abducting us, but you can only get some of us under threat to safety. You don't know why we're being threatened, but you know it's us because we are the leaders of the corp. Fair enough, kind of. What I don't understand and you still haven't said, is who you are and why you even care."

Deron stood abruptly. "That is more personal and I hope you'll understand I'm not ready to talk about it. Look, Semal's almost finished with the stew. If I untie you now, will you not kill us or run? Will you work with us?"

Will considered for a moment, then nodded assent. Deron untied him and helped him up. He walked over to Maddie and untied her. He gently shook her until her eyes opened. She blinked drowsily and pushed herself up.

"Will? What happened?" She noticed Deron and Semal. "Who are they?"

Semal brought over two bowls. He gave one to Will and the other to Maddie, then walked away. Will sighed, then sat down and started explaining everything to her.

 **Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

Halt woke tied up as well. His back was pressed to a post and ropes wound around him completely. He couldn't move and was starting to cramp up. He was on a ship quite a ways out from shore. Halt could barely make out the beach even with his sharp eyes.

He had been about a mile out from the Gathering when something had stabbed his neck. He realized now it had probably been a dart with some type of drug to knock him out. He had fallen off Abelard as the horse had stumbled and fell too. There had been a cloaked figure, all black except for a red belt. That must have been his captor, so where was he now?

Halt turned his head as far as he could to try and find someone. He saw two men sitting back against some barrels giving them some shade. They were watching him closely.

" _Guards. Nice of them to take the shade."_ Halt could feel a sunburn on the back of his neck. " _How long have I been out here?"_ He realized he was really thirsty. Just as the thought crossed his mind, a man climbed up from somewhere below deck, sipping a cup of coffee.

Halt frowned. " _Now that's just cruel."_ He took a closer look at the man, recognizing him. He was wearing all black except for his red belt. The cloak was gone, though, revealing his blond hair. He looked fairly young, but his eyes were cold and measured. On his belt was a circular crest. It was black on the bottom half of the circle and silver on the top. A bird's black silhouette was spreading its wings against the silver and the image was reflected in silver on the black portion of the circle. An arrow and a knife laid on the boundary between the colours.

Halt froze. It was the same symbol on the weapons Sierra had arrived with. The assassin noticed his look of confusion and laughed. Without any other acknowledgement of Halt's existence, he turned and returned below deck. Halt leaned his head back. " _I hope Will and Maddie are alright. What is that symbol?"_

Gilan had been searching for Will and Maddie. They had vanished on their way to the Gathering and there had been at least twenty different false trails. He had Rangers following each one. He had taken a couple apprentices with him to track this trail. Now he was searching for them. They had been riding behind him not two minutes ago, then vanished silently when he had turned around. He was a little unnerved.

He heard a branch rustle behind him. Blaze nickered warningly. Gilan spun around and dropped to the ground as something sharp shot past him. He jumped up and laid an arrow across his bow. There was no one visible in front of him, but that's where he'd heard the sound from.

Blaze tossed his head upwards. Gilan looked at him, then up at the branches of the trees above him. There were the apprentices holding what looked like darts. One threw his at him and it struck him on his shoulder. Gilan had already fired an arrow in response, but both the boys had drooped to the ground and the arrow sailed harmlessly over their heads.

He tried to fire again, but his fingers felt thick and heavy like the rest of him. He watched his bow hit the ground and followed it down. Blaze snorted angrily behind him and then again, but this time sounded more like the horse was amused than angry. As Gilan collapsed on the grass, he noticed both the boys were grasping in shock at darts in their necks as they fell backwards too.

" _Blaze is right, they do look funny falling over like that. Do I look funny too?"_ He thought drowsily. He felt someone pulling him up, but couldn't see who because everything was suddenly very dark.

Gilan woke to see Will leaning against a rock sipping coffee. He pushed himself up from the rocky ground. "Will! Where are we? We've been looking for you all day. Where's Maddie?"

"Maddie's right behind you. She's kind of tired. We rode fairly hard to get to you in time. We almost didn't." He poured another cup of coffee. "Want one? The others won't be back for a few more minutes."

Gilan took the cup. "Thanks. What others?"

"Ah, where do I start? You know the assassin Sierra told us about? Those boys were working for him. They're basically assassins in training and they were sent to infiltrate the Corps and capture us. Sierra and a couple others got Maddie and I out and rescued you too. The bad news is the assassin got Halt and is taking the other Rangers out a couple at a time. We think they're planning to take Cassandra and Horace, too. Questions?"

"Is this my coffee supply, Will?" Gilan glared at him.

Will shrugged unrepentantly. "Maybe."

"Right. Of course." Gilan sighed. "What is the assassin here for exactly? Where is he from?"

"Don't know either of those. Sorry."

"Ok. Why is he going after the Rangers? How in the world did he capture Halt? Who's Deron?"

"He's targeting the Rangers because apparently we're the biggest threat to whatever he's doing. I have no clue how he got Halt. Deron is one of our so called rescuers. The others are Semal and of course, Sierra. I don't know anything about them really. They're great trackers. They're proficient with a bow, swords, throwing knives, anything probably. Those were Sierra's weapons you had. Semal was the one who stole them out of your office. Very good riders and their horses have incredible stamina. They kept up with us easily."

"I think you sound impressed, Ranger." Semal called from the entrance. "Hey, Deron! We impressed Will Treaty."

"Enough." Deron walked in behind him carrying a small deer with Sierra. "Wait, is that coffee? Where did you get coffee?"

"Gilan had some in his packs and generously offered to share." Will explained.

"No. All Rangers carry coffee with them." Gilan corrected. "Will just didn't want to break into his stash. So I understand you're the ones who helped me?"

"Correct. Pleasure to be of service." Semal replied. "After all, it is an act of kindness to help those completely out of their depth. Which I have to say, you really are. So why don't we start planning how to valiantly save the Princess Regent Cassandra and Sir Horace?"

"What? They've been captured already?" Will seemed shocked. "I thought they would wait until they had all the Rangers."

"Most the Rangers. Not all, that'd take too long." Sierra responded. "They moved faster than we anticipated. We have confirmation the Princess Regent and Sir Horace were taken last night."

"Which means they will be transported to the prison ship and taken we don't know where." Deron explained. "So we need to find them before that. So let's make dinner and go find them. It should be relatively simple. They'll be a small force for stealth purposes, but highly trained. We'll be about evenly matched. Do you have honey to go with the coffee?"

 **Thank you to all readers and reviewers! Sorry that took so long, I ended up completely changing my mind about what happens and had to rewrite the whole chapter.**

 **Let me know how you like it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Sierra was on watch again. She was staring out at the gently waving grass leading down to the path, searching for anything out of the ordinary. She had been there for an hour already, but was still very alert. So when she saw the grass shifting ever so slightly in the still field, she knew it could not be the nonexistent wind.

" _And here we go again."_ She leaped down from her perch and ran into the cave. "On your feet, boys. Here they come."

Semal and Deron had already jumped to their feet at her quick entrance. The Rangers were right behind them. Semal groaned. "Not again. We can't even eat a meal in peace anymore."

"You could before?" Sierra teased.

Will gave them a strange look. "Before what? What's going on?"

"We've been found. We need to get out and lose them again. We'll have to rescue the others later. Can't do them much good if we're caught." Deron explained, already anticipating the Ranger's objections. "How many and how far out, Sierra?"

"Not sure. Ten minutes." She responded without hesitation. She was heading back to the entrance, already pulling an arrow out of her quiver. "I'll try to push it to twenty. Hurry." Gilan hurried after her to help.

Semal and Maddie already had the horses saddled. Will and Deron gathered what things they had time to. They moved to the entrance, all with bows at the ready. Deron was in the lead. He paused at the entrance, then signaled the others and rode forward at a full gallop. He swerved to the side as soon as he passed the opening. Semal was right behind him with Sierra's horse and Blaze. As they rode past, Sierra swung herself onto her horse, easily matching pace with the others instantly. Gilan mimicked her movements, but nearly fell off the other side. Semal caught him and pushed him upright on Blaze.

Arrows shot past them and a few found their mark despite their speed. Gilan felt one lodge into his back, just under his left shoulder blade. He cried out instictively. Deron glanced back at him, then at the other two. They met his gaze and split to different directions. Semal motioned Maddie to follow him and broke sharply to the right. Will carried after Deron, heading straight. Sierra fell behind and to the left with Gilan. The pursuers split up as well.

Maddie was staying close behind Semal. He appeared to know where they were going. An arrow grazed her leg, but she didn't feel it through the adrenaline in her veins. She couldn't feel the arrow already buried in her lower back either. She started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Semal looked back at her and shouted. She struggled to make out what he was saying, but the effort hurt her head. She swayed back and tumbled off Bumper. Semal had turned back and was firing arrows for all he was worth. Then one took him in the shoulder and he fell back dropping his bow.

Semal stood, grabbing his shoulder and broked the arrow shaft off. He gritted his teeth to keep from screaming. Maddie lay crumpled face down on the ground. He saw the arrow in her now too late. Wincing with each movement, he unsheathed his sword and prepared to fight.

His attackers circled around him. There were five. He turned to keep as many as he could in sight. He sensed rather than heard the sword cut toward his neck from behind. He raised his own and braced behind his head to block the strike. Another one came at him from the side. He pivoted to defend himself. The attacks came faster. Semal twisted and blocked so fast he wasn't even sure how he knew where to turn next.

He thrust at one rider while ducking to dodge another's blade, then bent back just as someone slashed at his face. He spun his blade and thrust back, heard a grunt of pain in response, but was already pivoting away from the next strike and lashing out at an unblocked throat. He pulled his blade out and leapt back, dropping and rolling to avoid simultaneous thrusts. He came back to his feet swiftly and slashed out at an arm while turning to escape yet another.

He stumbled over the body of the one he'd got and threw his arm out to catch himself, but it collapsed under his weight. Too late, he remembered he'd been hit in the shoulder. He felt weak. The fight had caused him to bleed faster. He had lost this battle before he'd started. One of the riders dismounted and walked toward him, raising his sword. Semal watched as he approached.

Sierra and Gilan were moving fast along a narrow rocky beach at the edge of a steep cliff. He tried not to look at the water crashing against sharp rocks jutting out of the water, promising a swift current that would drag them under and focused instead on the rocky terrain in front of Blaze. Suddenly a narrow opening in the cliff appeared, Sierra swerved into it and leapt off her horse onto the cliff's face. Without a second's hesitation, she started scaling the sheer rock as though it was a ladder. Gilan just stared at her as Blaze sped past after her horse.

The narrow opening turned out to be a path that steepened dramatically. The horses struggled to keep going up the treacherous slope. Gilan turned in the saddle to see their pursuers gaining on them. He searched for Sierra and spotted her settled on a small ledge. She fitted an arrow to her bow and tried to draw back, but didn't have enough space to do so. She set down the bow and reached into her belt. She pulled out several small knifes and started hurling them at the pursuers with incredible speed and accuracy. In moments, the entire force were lying sprawled on the rocky slope.

She searched up the path for Gilan, but didn't see him. She frowned, concerned. Suddenly a rope slapped against the rock next to her. She looked up and saw him grinning at her. She grinned back and climbed up. They mounted back up and set off to help the others. It was fairly easy to locate the trail of arrows in the trees that had missed their targets. They sped in chase.

Will was staring at Deron in shock. He had to force himself to turn back to focus on the forest ahead. The young man was sitting backwards on his saddle and firing arrow after arrow at the riders chasing them. He was shooting as calmly and accurately as though he was just standing and firing at straw targets despite the jostling of his horse dodging bushes and trees. Deron fired again and hit the last pursuer. Without so much as a change in expression, he spun forward again and slowed his horse down. Will followed suit.

They heard hoofbeats coming up behind them. Deron set another arrow to his bow, but hesitated. A moment later, Sierra and Gilan came into sight through the trees. Sierra waved cheekily at Deron.

"Any idea where Semal got to?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I expect he'll be along soon. Let's keep going. He knows where to meet us."

The man raised his sword to finish Semal. Semal just smirked at him. He hesitated and glanced over his shoulder. It was quick, but when he turned back, Semal was standing and his sword entered the man's chest. As he fell, Semal turned sharply to his right and threw a small knife at one of the other three. Continuing his turn, he launched another at the next one. He stopped once he was facing the third and grinned. The man frowned and started to release his arrow, but Semal's horse reared up behind him and kicked out. He collapsed, his arrow hitting the dirt harmlessly.

"Ha. Good job, Dusk." He picked his sword up and frowned at the mess. He turned searching for Maddie. Bumper snorted off to the side. The Ranger girl lay behind him. Semal rushed over to her. She was still breathing, but she was very pale. He quickly stopped the bleeding, then lifted her onto Bumper and looped a rope around her to keep her secured. He mounted Dusk and set off at a steady pace with Bumper so not to jostle her.

After a short while, they met up with the others. Deron decided to make camp when he saw Maddie's condition. They got her settled down, then sat down themselves to replan.

"They'll be almost to the ship by now." Sierra pointed out. "We need to move fast."

"Yes, but Maddie and Semal are injured. They can't move fast." Deron agreed. "We need to split up."

"I can still fight. I just can't use a bow." Semal argued. "That in no way limits my abilities. I can still use a sword and throw knives with one arm."

"Fine, you'll need as many as you can." Deron agreed. "I'll stay with Maddie. I know their tactics. I can keep us clear until you lot get back. You'll need to head straight to the cove. I expect they're already there."

Sierra nodded and went to get her horse ready. Gilan exchanged a glance with Will and followed her.

"So where did you learn to scale a cliff so quickly? Or use a sword against mounted attackers? Not even Rangers are trained to do that. Who are you that you need a skill set like that?"

Sierra frowned, but quickly covered it with a smile. "I haven't introduced you to Ember yet, have I?" The horse was a subtle red, although at first glance she appeared dark brown. "She's Dusk's sister. Whystle, Deron's horse, isn't related to them, though. All our horses are this color. It's really nice, don't you think?" She started to walk off.

"No. Come back here." Gilan snapped. "You all are hiding something and we are about to trust you with our kingdom's safety. We want to know your secret." Will was having the same conversation with Deron and Semal by the fire. Sierra looked over at them. They glanced at her and Deron nodded. She looked back at Gilan.

"Fair enough. Let's sit down though. You may not like it."

 **Sorry that took so long. I'll update the next chapter more quickly.**

 **Thanks to all reviewers! Please continue to let me know how you like it.**


	10. Chapter 10

They were all sitting around the fire, except for Maddie. Deron was absentmindedly rotating some meat on a rough spit over the flames. Sierra and Semal were sitting back comfortably with their coffee, avoiding eye contact with the Rangers. The Rangers were growing increasingly more irritated as they waited for the three to say something.

Will broke the silence angrily. "I thought we were in a rush. Are you going to tell us?"

Sierra glared at him. "Well, you wanted to hear the story. This isn't easy for us to discuss, you know. It hurts." She looked at the ground. "It's hard just trying to decide where to start."

Semal looked up. "Well, we're here because we are hunting a traitor. He killed everyone. All our family, all his, and everyone besides. We are from a nomad tribe, I suppose. He killed them all and now we are going to avenge them. That's all there is to it really. He's here, so we are too." He grinned cockily.

"That doesn't actually explain anything." Gilan pointed out. "Where did you learn to ride and fight and all? And why?"

"Our tribe. All youth are trained in those skills and others from ten years old." Sierra answered reluctantly.

"Why?" Gilan repeated.

"Oh, what the blazes. They'll figure it out eventually. We're saboteurs, spies, assassins, Ranger. Mercenaries who can do anything anywhere." Deron snapped. "The tribe trains us in the necessary skills from age ten. At sixteen we are assigned to someone to shadow them on their missions and at eighteen, we are sent on our first mission."

Gilan's look of shock was almost comical. Will's was not. "Assassins. So why are you really here?" He growled.

"I just said, we're chasing the other one. He betrayed us all, we survived and he will pay." Semal said, his eyes now dark and humorless.

Gilan leaned back. He didn't recognize this side of them. They usually seemed so young and fun loving. That had all vanished in an instant. Now their faces were guarded, their eyes threatening. He realized Sierra had looked like this while hanging to the cliff, preparing to loose her small blades on to the pursuers. He hadn't noticed at the time, but her eyes were just as unforgiving then as now. It unsettled him.

Will wasn't completely comfortable either. "Who is he? What did he do?" He asked more gently.

"He was one of the best. He was sent on a mission with two others, his brothers. The target was in an isolated village and according to him, it was a trap and they died." Semal told them. He rubbed his shoulder. "He claimed that in his pain, he lost control. He severely injured everyone in the village so they couldn't run and he burned it and them to the ground."

"We had three rules in our tribe, our code. Never steal from or hold out on anyone in the tribe. We would set our own prices and keep our own earnings, but it was understood that if someone was injured and unable to provide for their family or themselves, all they'd have to do is ask." Deron smiled at the memory. "And often even that wasn't necessary."

"Never force anyone to kill. Very few of us were assassins. Most did other things. Espionage, sabotage, strategic advisor, courier. Maybe one out of ten of us ever carried out an assassination." Semal explained. "And we were only about a hundred altogether."

"The first rule of them was, is never harm a child. You intentionally harm a child, that was it for you." Sierra's voice was low. "To hurt an innocent so young and helpless was the worst offence. And when we say everyone in the village, we mean everyone."

Will took a sharp breath. Gilan just stared at her. She continued. "He came back to our camp and tried to explain, but once they'd heard what he'd done, they refused to listen to his excuses. We threw him into the prison to await his sentence. Then as was custom, we had a hearing." Her voice was empty, blank.

Deron cut in. "The way we did hearings was almost definitely different from you. We involved everyone. We'd have a meal for the whole camp, everyone would come. The crime would be announced and we'd eat and discuss what to do with the person in question. Once the meal was over, a verdict would be decided. The sentence would be carried out that night by select people."

Sierra nodded. "We had agreed on the sentence. It didn't take long for that one. But everyone just started dropping and screaming. All ages, trades, just everyone in agony." Her fists clenched

"His brothers weren't dead. They had poisoned the water with an undetectable poison. We were in the desert, so you can bet everyone was drinking water. Even the infants." Semal explained bitterly. "It took twenty minutes to kill everyone, give or take and all the time they were screaming."

"We saw his brothers and some others releasing him and killing any survivors. We ran." Deron admitted. "We stood no chance. They were senior assassins. The only others were dead. It was our only option. There was nothing for us to do there even if we could have, but still."

"It hurts." Semal whispered hoarsely. "Our families, everyone dead. Everyone!" His voice suddenly furiously loud. He took a deep breath. "He killed them all and we are here to avenge them. And stop him from repeating that here."

Sierra looked carefully at the Rangers. "Do you understand now?"

"Yes." Gilan muttered. He was still a bit unnerved by their attitudes. He shook his head and repeated louder. "Yes. Just one more thing. How did you survive?"

"Oh." Semal flushed red and stared at the ground, rubbing his shoulder.

Sierra laughed slightly. "Oh yeah. That's a great point. We were banned from the meal and assigned to chore duty that day as punishment."

"What! Why?" Will asked, surprised.

Deron just shook his head. "That's really not important."

"No, we promised to tell them the whole thing, Deron." Sierra mock reprimanded him. She was grinning again, Gilan noted with relief, and Semal had that spark back in his eye. It wasn't as cheery as usual, but they were recovering from the shock. That was good. He really did not want to have to trust Araluen to some revenge obsessed assassins.

Sierra continued, ignoring the boys' objections. "We were in trouble because Semal had a crush on someone and convinced us to help him steal some desserts the day before so he could arrange a starlight picnic with her." She smirked. "We got caught and were assigned to chores around the camp. We weren't even allowed near the food so we couldn't steal any. We had two canteens of water each for the whole day. They wouldn't stop complaining." She laughed. "But I guess it did save our lives." She said more seriously.

Semal frowned. "Speaking of lives, shall we get going? I think we've wasted enough time. Will you still trust us?"

The Rangers exchanged looks. Gilan answered. "Yes, we will. Let's go."

 **Thank you to all readers and reviewers. Let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back now! Updates may not be super consistent, but bear with me. Reviews are still very welcome. As are favorites and follows. Enjoy!**

Semal crept through the trees. They had left the horses a ways behind. Close enough for a quick escape, but far enough they wouldn't be spotted. He was slightly hampered by his arm, but there was no way Sierra was running off again. The last time she'd done that, they'd almost lost her.

He and Sierra were in their full combat gear. He had a dark grey tunic with special black trousers. They had sewn in sheaths for his knives and lockpicks. He had his sword and a couple smoke bombs on his belt. Finally, he had his cloak on over it all. Like the rest of his outfit, the cloak was black and grey. It was made for this, for slipping through the night invisibly.

Sierra had the same, except she had her bow and quiver as well as all the rest. Instead of a bow, Semal had a small dart launcher, almost a miniature crossbow that strapped to the inside of his forearm. Each of his darts was tipped in a poison that would immobilize in thirty seconds and kill in eighty. He carried spare darts on his belt along with anything else he might need in waterproof pouches. Simple and lightweight. He always appreciated that when slipping silently through thorn bushes or swimming completely submerged in freezing water. At least he wasn't a knight trying to do it all with bulky armor and heavy weapons. He much preferred his katana to a knight's broadsword.

He paused to check his arm. If the bandage slipped, he could start bleeding out and pass out. That wouldn't help anyone. A snap echoed through the trees. He froze. Slowly he backed against a tree and set his hand on his sword hilt. He sensed rather than saw the figure leap out of the foliage next to him. He threw himself forwards and rolled, coming up on his feet with his sword out.

The attacker's blade hit his own hard. He shoved his feet deep into the turf to keep traction. They pressed their weapons against each other in a contest of strength. Suddenly, Semal pivoted and brought his sword up. The attacker stumbled forward, shouting in surprise and Semal brought his blade down on the man's neck. The man twisted as he fell and shoved his sword into Semal's injured arm even as he collapsed dead.

Will and Sierra were up on a cliff. Will was going to provide cover fire while Sierra rappelled down the cliff face and ran up the center to the ship. They were waiting for Semal to arrive in position. Gilan was ready in his post. He would come up from the side opposite Semal.

"You know, you still haven't told us this assassin's name." Will pointed out.

Sierra turned and frowned at him. "That's what you're worried about right now? His name is Kainin." She looked back at the beach. "Where is Semal? They're ready to cast off. We need to go." She scanned the woods again.

Semal pulled the sword out of his arm and ran the rest of the way. There wasn't much point in stealth after all that. He reached his spot and signaled Sierra. She responded, signaling him and Gilan to be ready. He took a moment to catch his breath and looked at the ship. It was casting off. He was going to bleed out quickly with this exertion, but there wasn't really an option. If he warned Sierra he was injured, she'd call it off and they'd lose their chance.

On the cliff, Sierra released her rope and slid into position to climb down. Will flicked his cloak off of his quiver. Sierra gave a sharp rhythmic whistle and leapt back. Will stood with an arrow ready. He would hold off firing until certain they had been spotted so they held the element of surprise as long as they could. They'd have to swim some to get to the ship now, they needed every second they could get.

Halt was horribly sunburned by now, but there was something else wrong with him. He could feel it. He groaned in pain. They hadn't done anything with him. They just left him tied to the post to cook in the sun. They fed him once a day and brought him a canteen of water thrice besides that. The rest of the time, they ignored him. He had seen Cassandra and Horace brought on board and taken below. They had been unconscious, at least he hoped so. He hadn't seen them since.

He groaned again. They ignored him. " _Gorlog's beard, this hurts! What is wrong with me?"_ After a moment, the pain stopped. This had been happening for days. Hallucinations would come next, he knew. Had they done something to him after all?

Gilan waited until Sierra reached the ground to start running. He saw Semal across the beach. He looked like he was bleeding again. Sierra hit the ground and started running. Gilan jumped out of the meager bushes he had been crouched behind and headed to the ship. Semal was running too, but he was definitely bleeding again.

Sierra saw Semal's arm was soaked in red. " _Oh, you've got to be kidding me."_ Was all she could think. It was too late to turn back now. She hoped he could make it through the fight. And she was at the water's edge. She ran in up to her knees and then fired an arrow trailing a rope at the deck. She tugged it to check it's security and started climbing. Semal followed her up. Gilan was climbing his own rope on the other side.

Arrows started flying past over their heads. " _Game's on now."_ She thought wryly. She looked over the edge of the ship at the deck. She could see Halt tied to a post behind several guards. She didn't see Cassandra or Horace on deck, but wasn't surprised. She spotted Gilan appear on the other side. She jumped on deck, already flinging knives at all threats. Semal clambered up behind her and started firing poison tipped darts.

The deck was cleared fairly quickly. The sailors weren't well trained and had not been expecting the three of them to appear. There were a couple archers that Semal took care of quickly. That done, Sierra moved to get Halt. Semal and Gilan drew their swords and started below deck.

Gilan went first down the stairs/ladder. He jumped the last few steps and landed lightly. The corridor was empty. Semal landed next to him. They exchanged concerned glances. Gilan sighed. " _There is no way they don't know we're here. We are definitely walking into a trap."_ Semal read his expression and chuckled quietly. He walked forward down the corridor, sword ready. Gilan followed.

Will still watching from the cliff. He saw Sierra untie Halt as the other two went down. He also saw a small boat pulling away from the ship. It was at an angle that he doubted the others could see it. There was a dark cloaked figure in the stern which stood out to him. " _Why would the assassin be leaving? He's not even going to put up a fight?"_

He drew back his bowstring and fired at the small boat. One of the rowers collapsed. A moment later, an arrow sailed towards him. He leaped back out of the way, but failed to see the second one already following. It slashed across his back, tearing muscles and flesh.

Will arched back and gritted his teeth to keep from screaming. His vision flared and started to go dark. He fought the shock over taking him. Every movement was agony, but he strung another arrow and fired at the dark figure more off instinct than actual aiming. He didn't see the result as he dropped to the ground.

Gilan was right behind Semal, his sword ready. They had yet to encounter anyone as they crept through the ship. Semal came to a locked door and kicked it open. The room was deserted, food still sitting on a table in the center. They moved onto the next room. Three doors later, Gilan kicked it in and finally found Cassandra and Horace.

They were chained to metal beds which were screwed into the wall. Semal pulled out a pouch of tools and quickly picked the locks open. Gilan raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. They turned to the door to leave, but it was blocked by two apprentice Rangers.

Gilan sighed. Maybe he could get them talking and stall. "So I assume the names I know you by are false. What do you usually go by?"

The young warriors ignored him and stepped closer. Semal stepped in front of the two escaping captives and raised his sword defensively. Gilan followed suit. Their opponents glanced at each other and reached into their cloaks. Gilan shifted his weight slightly, expecting them to pull out swords. Semal reacted differently.

He turned slightly, shoved Horace to the side and threw himself in front of Cassandra. A dart whistled through where Horace had been seconds ago and another struck Semal. He quickly pulled it out and looked back at the door. The two boys were gone. He moved towards the opening, but veered sharply as a wave of dizziness swept over him.

Gilan caught him before he fell. "What's wrong?"

"Just blood loss." Semal replied breathlessly, gesturing to his arm. "I'm fine. Let's go." He pushed himself back to his feet and let Gilan take the lead. They reached the deck with no further incident. It made Gilan nervous. He realized the rescue had gone way too easily so far.

Sierra had left a rope ladder thrown over the side ready for them. They all climbed down and hurried to meet her, Will, and Halt at the horses.

Will forced himself to open his eyes. He felt like he was weightless and flying, but that was wrong. He was lying on the ground, but he had to get somewhere. He struggled to cut through the fog in his head to remember where. " _Where... where? Where is Tug? Tug! I need to get to the horses!"_

He tried to get to his feet, but his muscles wouldn't respond. He tried again and managed to push himself to his hands and knees. He braced himself against a nearby tree and pulled himself to his feet. His bow was on the ground next to him. He reached for it and wrapped his fingers around the smooth wood, but nearly fell over again when he stood back up. Now he just had to walk to the horses.

Semal was swaying. He couldn't seem to walk in a straight line. Gilan kept grabbing his shoulder to steady him. He wasn't sure how much farther he could go. He heard Dusk up ahead, whinnying worriedly at him as usual. He felt bad. He would never make it back to his loyal horse. Then he was being helped onto his horse's back, but he kept falling off and everything was spinning and there were shiny things everywhere. Maybe they were birds, or butterflies or fairies! He laughed. Fairies!

Gilan stared at Semal. He was completely out of it. He was laughing and muttering something about fairies and seemed unable to stay in his saddle. Sierra was tying him down to to his horse. Cassandra was mounted on Ember already and Horace on Whystle. Gilan had Halt with him on Blaze. The older Ranger was not in good shape at all. Will had yet to show up.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Will stumbled into the clearing, his back soaked in blood. He collapsed onto the leafy ground. Gilan hurriedly dismounted and rushed over to him. He quickly took in Will's injury and pulled his own cloak off to slow the flow of blood. He didn't have much in the way of medical supplies that Will needed. Gilan pulled Will over to Tug and draped the Ranger across the horse. He secured him with a rope and re mounted Blaze. Sierra was up on Dusk behind Semal. The two exchanged a look and they set off back to the cave.

"Will, you're in the way. Just get back." Deron muttered. He turned back to Halt. He laid his hand against the unconscious Ranger's forehead and felt for his pulse with the other. After a moment, he moved his hand down to hover over Halt's mouth. He took a shaky breath and opened Halt's eye. Deron's face went blank. He gently closed Halt's eye and pressed the wet cloth back on his forehead.

"What is wrong with him?" Will sharply enunciated every word. He forced himself to relax. His tense stance was sending waves of pain through him every time he moved despite the sedative Deron had given him.

Deron ignored him and repeated the procedure with Semal. His expression gave away nothing while he worked. Sierra had mirrored his attitude, but she was subconsciously toying with the hilt of the knife strapped to her leg as she watched him.

Gilan moved up next to her. "Sierra, what's wrong with them?"

"I don't know." She turned to him. "We need to wait until Deron finishes." She started towards the exit, but Gilan grabbed her arm.

Maddie moved in front of her. "No. You know, or at least have a good guess. What is it?"

"Insurance." She answered reluctantly. She yanked her arm back and stared at the tent wall, avoiding eye contact. "They poisoned Halt so any rescue would be pointless and they got Semal while we were escaping. They'll die unless we take them back to get the antidote."

"Estimating from the symptoms, we have roughly ten hours to get them back." Deron confirmed.

Will's face went white. "We have to give Halt back? Don't you know the antidote? Can't you figure it out?"

"This poison is specially designed for this. There's only one antidote. It's made from multiple components and it has to be measured and mixed exactly. Only full assassins know it, so only those three." Deron explained.

"Can we steal it?" Maddie pushed.

"No. They won't even mix it until we've returned them." Sierra admitted. "It's a whole procedure. They won't even bother tracking us down. They know we'll come. It never fails."

"It will this time." Cassandra announced. No one had even noticed her enter. Horace was right behind her. She walked up to Deron. "Ten hours? How long would it take us to travel there?"

"It's two hours back." He replied.

"Then that gives us eight hours to figure something out. Plenty of time. Start telling us everything about Kainin and what other procedures he'll have."


	12. Chapter 12

Kainin stared out at the water crashing against the rocks. It sprayed into the air coating everything nearby, causing a thousand ripples spreading through each other and eliminating the weakest. None of them survived the next wave though. A beautiful, but pointless existence and changing nothing, unlike him.

He turned away as one of the young apprentices ran up behind him. The lad was barely breathing hard, yet his face was flushed red. Kainin sighed and gestured for him to speak.

"We were unable to poison the two royals, assassin, but we got one of the survivors of the clan." The boy stood tensely awaiting Kainin's response.

He considered the information for a moment, then nodded. "Variations to the plan were anticipated due to their interference, but this should work well despite your failure. Well done salvaging your assignment. When they come for the antidote, we will continue as planned with the hostages. Our younger opponents are of no use. You may draw out their deaths, but not to the point they can escape. They are trained better than you or your peers, do not underestimate them. Use your numbers to overwhelm them." He held the boy's eyes. "I will help you take them and then they are yours to eliminate as you please. Do not lose them." He turned, dismissing the boy.

The youth turned, but hesitated. Kainin turned back. "Was there more you needed?"

"Assassin, the others heard rumor the Araluen Rangers came from us or at least had training with our people. I was unsure of this rumor and wondered…? He seemed unsure how to finish.

The older warrior smiled understandingly. "If they are our own, why do we kill them and attack their charged country? It is true our warriors were stationed here many years ago to defend a king we owed and they are considered the original Rangers of Araluen. The country's...Corps of today grew from their training and values, but the warriors we fight today are not of our blood or allegiance."

He smiled slightly at the boy's relief. He was so innocent to the world. Kainin had not disclosed the truth of his attack on the clan to the youth he had permitted to live since they would not understand the necessity. They believed the clan had been about to commit an unforgivable offence to the code and he had heroically defended the nuisance of a code. It simply made harder to earn money and complete jobs, but the young still clung to it without need. He watched the boy leave to assure his friends they were clear of guilt and shook his head.

He directed his thoughts back to the problem he faced. Despite what he had said, the young survivor now poisoned would be a problem. The children were trained well and would know he would not treat any of them, his enemies. They would try anything to save each other as he had observed over past encounters and always succeeded in the most unpredictable way. He could not underestimate them again, could not afford to think of them as children after all he had seen from them. What would they do now he had them backed into a corner?

The Rangers were also more of an obstacle than he had expected. He had thought they would not be at the level of his own soldiers, but they were skilled almost equal to him. They had even improved certain areas of his own training. Their cloaks were more effective than his and they knew their home well. They were a threat worthy of their origin and with the assassin youths' knowledge of his tactics, he had to adjust his strategy.

 **Sorry the chapter is so short, I'll try to post the next soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Right, so much for the quick update. Here it is though. Enjoy!**

The Rangers had calmed down and now everyone was gathered around their fire as Sierra explained Kainin's most likely course of action. Deron was still tending to Halt and Semal.

Will was pacing impatiently. "I don't understand why only Halt was poisoned if the targets were Eve, I mean Cassandra and Horace.'

Sierra smiled grimly. "They must be required alive. Halt's not. They know we'd be devastated by his loss though."

"Required?" Horace asked. "What do you mean?"

"Some missions are simple eliminations or recoveries and rescues, but others are basically abductions. I'm guessing it's the last. Kainin has been told to bring you two in alive. If you die, it's a mission failure. He won't allow that to happen. So he poisoned Halt rather than risk you."

"So he'd do anything to keep us alive?" Cassandra frowned thoughtfully.

"Yes, until he hands you over." Sierra confirmed.

Maddie stared at her mother, then stood suddenly. "No. Whatever you're considering, just no."

Horace and Will quickly turned to look at her. Will narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Cassandra had a dangerously amused look. "Just if Kainin would do anything to keep us alive, what would he do if we had been poisoned?"

"He'd give you the antidote immediately. Then probably kill whoever had risked the mission."

"But he would apply the antidote before even casting off?" Cassandra asked, smiling.

Sierra's face lit up. "Yes. He'd be falling over himself to keep you alive. We might actually have some leverage as long as we play it right."

Maddie shook her head violently, but Will spoke first. "You are not poisoning yourselves, Evelyn." Horace looked a little nervous, too.

Cassandra laughed. "We couldn't even if that was the plan. We don't have any."

"However, Deron could probably make it look like they had been." Sierra explained. "And we could sneak in while Kainin panics and everyone else runs for the hills to get away from him." She hesitated. "There is still a very large risk. If the antidote is given on it's own, it'll kill you just as much as the poison."

Horace frowned and looked at Cassandra. She didn't say anything, just waited. He took a deep breath and nodded. "For Halt, it's worth it."

Maddie bit her lip anxiously, but said nothing. Will resumed pacing. "How likely is this plan to succeed, honestly?" He stopped and looked straight at Sierra.

She sighed. "I won't lie. No one's attempted something like this before. It's a risk, but it's your only chance to save Halt. And Semal." She added softly. She looked at Cassandra and Horace. "I told you we'd sworn to protect you as long as Kainin has you targeted, but if he realizes what we're doing before the rest of us arrive, there's not much we can do. It's your decision."

Maddie stepped in. "Wait. Maybe not. He saw you before you escaped and knew you were fine, he might not fall for you being poisoned. But he's after the entire royal family, right? And how could his men have been able to tell one cloaked Ranger from another? I could easily have been cut as well as Semal."

Cassandra and Horace objected in union. "That is not an option, young lady." But even Cassandra was overpowered by Horace's loud and firm "No!".

Will, however, looked thoughtful. "It could work." Sierra nodded. "True, Maddie makes a good point. She stands a better chance of fooling him than you do."

Will agreed. "Cassandra, Horace, I think Maddie can handle it. She's a Ranger and a fairly good one at that." He grinned, then sighed. "If she wants to do it, I don't think we could stop her anyway." He looked meaningfully at Cassandra when he said that.

Horace slumped his shoulders. "That's true."

"No! You can't." Cassandra threw her hands up in exasperation, but Maddie interrupted, grinning. "Just remember, Mom, you made me become a Ranger." The regal head of state glared at her daughter and stamped her foot. At which Horace and Will burst into laughter. Sierra just shook her head and went to inform Deron.

An hour later, Maddie looking on the verge of death, Cassandra on the verge of tears, and Horace and Will exchanging very worried looks, they headed into the woods.

Sierra and Deron rode slightly back from the rest, talking quietly. Every now and then, Halt or Semal would groan or gasp in pain. Maddie did her best to mimic them. They were all very aware of the occasional oddly bent branch or disturbed mud puddle. Kainin knew they were coming. Hopefully that was all he knew.

Soon they were in sight of the ship.

Kainin had been cautiously hurrying to prepare the antidote for the princess. He was furious she had been hit when he needed her alive and worried that she might be past the time the antidote would do anything. He was so preoccupied he didn't stop to think about when the girl would have been hit.

If he had, he might have taken a moment to reconsider the situation. As it was, he hurried to mix the solution correctly before the party arrived.

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Reviews are still very welcome. Just sayin'.**


	14. Chapter 14

They arrived at the edge of the beach and halted, waiting for a signal or permission to approach. Immediately, two apprentices appeared on the ship with arrows drawn and ready. Some of the deckhands came down toward them. The lead sailor paused, then spoke loudly.

"All of you dismount now and lay your weapons in front of you. Slowly!"

The group did so and the sailors walked over. They grabbed Halt, Maddie and Semal and took them below deck. The remaining sailors tied the rest of them tightly. Deron and Will exchanged worried glances. They'd planned on the ship casting off as soon as the hostages were aboard, leaving the Rangers behind.

The other sailors returned and they dragged the prisoners aboard. Cassandra and Horace were separated from the others. The Rangers and the teens were locked in a cabin with two guards. Gilan watched Deron and Sierra curiously. The two were staring at each other for some reason. Then he saw Sierra's eyebrow raise slightly and Deron seemed to subtly smirk and he imperceptibly nodded.

The two turned away from each other and remained still for a few moments. Then Deron caught Gilan's eye and winked. Sierra did the same with Will.

The two guards were obliviously muttering to each other about something, but they stopped when Deron started gasping in pain. He seemed to collapse in on himself and shook in agony. Sierra started and stared at him in shock. Deron let out an agonized groan and she gasped, then threw herself closer and started beating on this chest with her shoulder.

"Please! He can't breathe!" She cried at the guards. They hurried to revive their prisoner, but as soon as they entered arm's reach, the young assassins slid their ropes off and simultaneously knocked their opponents in the throat. The would be guards collapsed heavily.

Gilan raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly did you untie those ropes so fast?"

Deron grinned. "We didn't, there's a trick we used. When you're tied with rope, if you tense your muscles, you can later relax and slip out."

"Oh, like horses sometimes do when you put their saddles on." Will remarked.

"Exactly." Sierra responded. The two untied the Rangers and helped them up. Suddenly there was a loud crash from somewhere above them. Gilan grabbed the guards' weapons and grinned. "Shall we?"

Maddie groaned as the sailors carried her, Halt and Semal aboard. She shuddered slightly for good measure and risked a quick look around. The oaf holding Halt was in the front. He turned down a corridor and shouldered a door open. Maddie quickly shut her eyes as she was dumped on one of the beds inside.

She heard the sailors exit the room and stomp back the way they'd come. She raised her head and looked around. There was no sign of any antidote in the room. There was nothing except the beds and a single table. She heard voices outside the door and dropped her head back down.

One of the apprentices pushed the door open and held it for a tall, intimidating figure carrying a canteen and a small cup marked with lines. He set the cup and canteen down, then turned to Halt and touched his forehead. He frowned and laid his fingertips on Halt's neck, then his wrist. He turned back to the table and poured some liquid from the canteen into the cup up to the third line. He handed it to the apprentice and motioned toward Halt, then turned to Semal, the next from the door. Maddie nearly sighed with relief that he'd started from the door and would check her last.

Kainin repeated his actions with Semal and then poured out more antidote for the apprentice to give to Semal. He then turned to Maddie.

She moaned slightly, then blinked suddenly and stared at the forbidding assassin. She reached for him, pretending to recognize him. "Will? I feel really dizzy. And the lights are spinning." She grabbed at his cloak. "Please make it stop."

He stepped back and muttered something in a language Maddie didn't recognize. He pushed her back into the bed while calling over his shoulder for the apprentice. He was almost distracted enough that Maddie could get him.

She smoothly unsheathed and slashed a small blade at him. Sierra had earlier coated the blade in a nearly instantaneous paralyzing toxin. Maddie almost managed to cut the assassin. Almost. At the last second, Kainin angled himself so the blade passed harmlessly. He angrily slammed Maddie off the bed against the wall. The blade fell somewhere on the floor.

Her head hit hard and she stumbled, dazed for a valuable second. Kainin was next to her in that second and forced her to the ground. He calmly, but urgently said something to the apprentice and the boy rushed from the room.

The assassin yanked Maddie to her feet and pulled her towards the door. Still stunned from hitting so hard, she followed unsteadily. Just before they passed through the door, Kainin grunted and grabbed at his shoulder. The blade was buried in his upper back. Maddie looked behind her and saw Semal leaning unsteadily on his bed, but still grinning slightly.

He jerked his head, signaling her to get away from Kainin. She quickly did. The assassin was struggling to focus, but the toxin was already taking affect. He swayed and reached out to catch himself on the wall, but missed it and collapsed on the floor.

As he fell, the others arrived in the doorway. Semal waved weakly. "What kept you?" But the effect was ruined as he lost his balance and fell. Maddie caught him easily and pulled him to the door.

Deron grinned and took the young man's other arm to help carry him out. Will and Gilan grabbed Halt and the group continued down the corridor to locate Cassandra and Horace.

They were stopped halfway down the hall as the apprentice lad appeared with some of the sailors. They were holding Cassandra and Horace with knives to their throats.

"It's never easy, is it?" Gilan muttered.

Then Sierra said something sharply in their language. From behind the men holding Cassandra, another apprentice appeared and grabbed the knives from the sailors. Just as smoothly, he pivoted and stabbed them in the chests.

The first apprentice angrily yelled something and leapt at the second, but Gilan had seen it coming and, releasing Halt, tackled the boy midair. He groaned as he stood back up, then glared as Will unrepentantly laughed. Will happily refused to be withered by the Ranger Commandant's impressive glare.

The assassin apprentice was helping Cassandra back up from where she had been knocked over and they were following Deron and Semal towards the stairs.

The others followed them back up into the sunlight. The Rangers whistled sharply and all the horses trotted out from the trees they had been concealed behind. A moment later, Maddie and Sierra emerged from the ship dragging Kainin, now tied securely. They all mounted and started for Castle Araluen.

Will tried to approach the assassin apprentice who had helped them, but Deron stopped him with a look. Semal rode up next to him and muttered, "Later. We'll explain at the castle."

Still unsatisfied, Will fell back any way nest to Halt. Halt looked over at him with a wry expression. "Let's agree to let Gilan do all the explaining on this one." Will laughed. "You just don't want to admit you got caught by someone half your age." Halt raised an eyebrow.

Cassandra and Horace exchanged amused looks as the Rangers' banter continued throughout the ride.


End file.
